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Day 43 - morning

Eleanora lay in bed and stared glumly at the ceiling.  Last night
certainly turned out to be an eventful one, she thought.  The brief
thought that her own rage had somehow solidified and infected Gingle was
quickly repressed and she chided herself for such self-absorbed fancies.
 

Gingle.... Eleanora shook her head in disgusted amazement.  How stupid
could a man be to kill another - here, in a well-guarded warren - and
proudly emblazon himself with his own arms - and the murder weapon, as
well.  It was almost as if he wanted to get caught.

Throwing such gloomy thoughts aside with the blankets, Eleanora
struggled from the bed.  She had work to do...not the least of which was
finding Lia to apologize.  Her skin crawled with the shame of her
behavior the previous night.   Not entirely sure how she could face her
new friend, Eleanora dragged into her living room to find Leonidas
already up and obscenely cheerful.

*Plenty of things to interest a bard today,* he signed and smiled.

Eleanora shook her head.  *Just mind you cause no trouble.  We^ñve enough
already to last a lifetime.*

Leo nodded in solemn agreement and they headed down to the Dining Hall
for breakfast.

*******
later, same morning

Eleanora nervously approached the guest quarters where Lord Wollstone -
well, his son and acting lord anyway - was housed.  For the first time,
she was facing one of the lords who was not so friendly to the warren. 
The leering eyes of his guards were definitely not helping.  These were
the guards - at least the company of guards, if not the actual men -
who^ñd harassed her a few days ago.  She swallowed past a tight throat
and advanced to the door.

^îI am here to escort Lord Wollstone to the meetings,^ï she murmured.  

Almost immediately, to her relief, the man himself appeared.  She helped
him aboard Cara and flew the short distance to the hall, trying
desperately to ignore the subtle overfamiliarity of his hands.  The oily
smile he gave her upon dismounting indicated he knew full well her
distate - and her helplessness.  He^ñd done nothing overt enough to
warrant censure - just enough to make her feel soiled.  Eleanora smiled
thinly and ushered the man to his seat and turned on her heel and left.

As soon as she was out of his eyesight, she fled.  She could hide out in
the junior queenrider^ñs office and get some work done while she hid out.
 After all, she was supposed to be helping with the paperwork, right? So
she was just being a hard worker, that^ñs all.

<You don^ñt actually expect people to believe that, do you?>

Eleanora sighed.  <No.  But it sounded good.>

<You could, of course, take some time out to take care of your seriously
neglected dragon.>

Eleanora smiled at Cara^ñs tone of mock-censure.  <I should have the
afternoon off - unless the wayward lords return - and I^ñll give you a
nice bath and a rubdown.  Will that do?>

<Perfect.>

Cara settled down in happy anticipation and Eleanora spent a moment
simply basking in the dragon joy before turning her attention to the
paperwork in front of her.

*******
midday

Eleanora sat day-dreaming over pasturage reports that weren^ñt due for
another week when Merissa came in.  The warrenlady attracted Eleanora^ñs
attention with a little wave, then leaned across the desk to study her work.

^îPut those away for a bit.  I have a new job for you.^ï

Eleanora shuffled the papers into a neat pile and returned her attention
to Merissa^ñs face.

Merissa nodded in satisfaction.  ^îLord Gingle was scheduled to appear
before me right after lunch...which he obviously will not do.  I^ñd like
his son, Sheldon , to stand in for him.  Will you take his lunch over
and see that he^ñs cleaned up and ready?^ï  When Eleanora paled at the
thought, Merissa smiled and laid a gentle hand on her am.  ^îThe boy is
pretty scared.  His father has filled his mind with visions of
dragonriding demons.  You^ñre good at soothing people.^ï

Privately Merissa added, and he couldn^ñt possibly be threatened by you....

Eleanora nodded, feeling her palms already go clammy.  She rose to her
feet and gave Merissa a shaky smile before leaving her office and
heading toward the storeroom-cum-cell where Sheldon Gingle was being
held.  Along the way, she ran into a sullen J^ñred carrying a covered tray.

J'red glowered at the girl. 

"And just where do you think you are going?" He asked. 

"Merissa asked me to get ..um..Sheldon ready for the meeting," Eleanora
ventured timidly.

 "Sheldon is meeting with Merissa??"  He snorted, shaking his head.  He
stood for a moment, the tray forgotten, "He and his whole family should
have died with that cult!" 

Eleanora deftly slid the tray into her own hands.  "Well, the meeting
for Lord Gingle is after lunch and Sheldon is the last representative,
so he's standing in.  I'll take this to him.  Can you have Truan run
fetch some clean clothes for him, please?"  

Eleanora turned back toward the storeroom, biting down on her cheek to
control her temper.  Certainly, J'red of all people should understand
that you weren't responsible for your whole family.

"Have Truan...?"  He glared at her retreating back, realizing that since
she couldn't see his face, she hadn't heard his question.  Just as well,
he thought, and grinned at the girl's temedity.  He asked Firefly to
contact Draken and ask his rider to bring suitable attire for the
Lordling.  He didn't trust Sheldon, so followed Eleanora to the
storeroom that was being used for his cell. 

Eleanora smiled a little nervously at R'han, who was on guard duty.  His
answering smile lingered just a shade too long, but he turned to unlock
the door without further questions.  Eleanora jerked her chin upward and
stepped through into the storeroom.

Sheldon turned his startled eyes towards the door.  The bright light
from behind made the person coming through a dark, menacing shadow.  He
cringed back against the sacks of grain on which he'd been resting. 

Eleanora smiled gently.  The man in the corner was obviously nervous and
she didn't want to scare him any further.  She set the tray down on the
table and stepped back to give him room.  "I brought you some lunch. 
Eat up, you have a busy afternoon ahead."

He stared as the apparition  turned into a pretty, young girl.  "Lunch?"
 He stared at the food on the table and then back to the girl.  Then her
words sunk in.  "Busy afternoon?"  Were they fattening him up then to
feed to one of the dragons? 

Eleanora nodded.  How could she say this without upsetting him?  "Yes. 
Your father was to have met with Merissa this afternoon. ...Um, since
he's not here, you will stand in for him.  I've sent Truan to fetch you
a change of clothes so you can clean up first."

Sheldon swallowed.  If he were to be fed to the dragons, then he'd meet
his fate as bravely as he could.  At least they were allowing him the
dignity of cleaning up.  He nodded at the girl.  He watched her back up
as he rose to move towards the table.  The food looked and smelled
great, and his stomach rumbled in protest to the delay.  He set to
eating it, as the girl watched.  He was nearly finished when the door to
the cell  opened to admit a former... friend. 

 J'red strode in carrying Sheldon's change of clothes.  He looked at
Sheldon with distaste clearly visable on his face, but half-turned so
Eleanora could see his lips.  "You really shouldn't be in here with
*master* Sheldon, Eleanora.  Why don't we wait outside while he...
dresses."  J'red flung the bundle at the furiously  blushing young Lord. 
 
Eleanora turned to Sheldon, with just a brief frown at J^ñred.  Gracious,
hadn^ñt his parents taught him proper manners?  ^îI^ñll wait just outside,
Sheldon.  When you^ñre ready, just knock on the door, all right?^ï

J'red closed the door with a resounding thud as they exited.  "R'han,
tell Eleanora when Sheldon knocks."  Then turning to the girl, J'red
bowed, "My apologies if I seemed a bit... rude.  But... if it weren't
for...  those Gingles... my brother would still be alive."  J'red's eyes
shined overly brightly,  "I'll never forgive them."   

Eleanora laid a comforting hand on J'red's arm.  "I know you must be
hurting, J'red, but did Sheldon do any of that? His brother has already
paid and his father will, but I've yet to hear that Sheldon himself has
done anything - except be born into the wrong
 family.  Surely, you don't expect that all members of a family should
suffer for one  crime?"

J'red flinched as her words struck home, "No..." he whispered, but
Eleanora just nodded as if he'd spoken outloud.  Then he shook himself,
as if waking from a trance, "Of course, we'll just have to see how he
answers  the questions Merissa will address to him.  And we'll just see
if Prince Reolden lets the Gingles keep Windtyde...."  His gray eyes
became steely. 

"Just so," Eleanora agreed, pleased that J'red was so reasonable.  A few
moments passed in silence  then there was a tentative knock at the
storeroom door.  R'han tapped Eleanora's arm and inclined his head
toward the door, opening it when she nodded.

Sheldon stood straight and tall, trying to hide his nervousness.  He let
the girl lead him out, very much aware of J'red following closely
behind.  He relaxed slightly when they passed the slumbering dragons and
headed  into a large hall.  He swallowed hard as he saw the gathered
crowd and noticed... was that?... Prince Reolden.

 Eleanora led the suddenly trembling young man to the table and chair
set aside for Lord Gingle.  "Relax, no one will hurt you here.  Just
tell the truth and you'll be fine, ok?" 

Sheldon nodded and smiled his thanks to the pretty young girl.  "I'm
glad that you brought me here, rather than one of those ... riders." 

Eleanora smiled pityingly and patted him on the arm.  "I am a rider,
Sheldon.  Good luck."  With another friendly pat, Eleanora slipped
quietly away, leaving Sheldon staring after her with confused eyes.

__________________
Submitted by:

Katrina aka Eleanora/Cara 

With MANY MANY thanks to Arle for writing both Sheldon and J^ñred so very
well.